Tips for finding a good psychiatrist
Finding a psychiatrist is easy, though finding a good one is another matter altogether. There are millions of professionals with certificates on their walls that say they are qualified to practice, so what makes one stand out from another, and how do you start the search for that illusive psychiatrist that will help you ?
Many people make the mistake of recommendation. Psychiatry is so personal and what works for one person with one particular problem isn’t really a good recommendation for other problems. The human mind is complex and every single case is a different one, meaning that by the very definition of specializing, what a specialist psychiatrist may leave out of the equation is the fact that each mind and each perception of their own given circumstance will be different. What makes many people flood to the specialist in their area of problem is the assumption that the psychiatrist will be accustomed to hearing stories like theirs, though does that make the psychiatrist a good choice ?
Let us take the search through the necessary criteria that needs to exist between a patient and their psychiatrist, in order to assist in the search for one that will be of help. Taking each of these one by one, the potential patient can eliminate those psychiatrists with whom a rapport would be of no benefit.
*Communication.
*Sex
*Body language
*Attitude
*Trust
Communication.
For a psychiatrist to be any good for your particular circumstances, the element of communication between you and the professional has to be open and relaxed. If a patient cannot communicate with a psychiatrist then what happens is that the appointment is not fruitful, and wastes both the patient and consultant’s time. Looking for a psychiatrist who you can talk to is essential, and here, many offer a first consultation at a reduced rate to discuss in general the kind of treatment you are seeking. This first appointment is a great opportunity to eliminate those with whom the patient cannot communicate. There may be many reasons why this occurs, though the same situation is one that presents itself daily in life. There will always be people with whom you have problems communicating and where the chemistry between you and them doesn’t make you feel comfortable.
In a situation such as a consultation with a psychiatrist, if there is a difficulty in communication in the initial stages, then the chances are that this will hamper the treatment and make it more long-winded than it needs to be, costing the patient more, and prolonging the treatment which could have been more effective with a psychiatrist with whom communication is more straightforward.
Sex
Many people find it difficult to talk to those of the opposite sex, though equally as many find that opening up to a psychiatrist is easier if the person is of the opposite sex. Deciding how your life pattern works and what level of communication you gain with either the opposite sex, or the same sex will allow you to eliminate those that would put hurdles in the way of communication.
Body language
Body language is extremely important when choosing a psychiatrist. Look at the initial interview with a psychiatrist how they present their body language in these areas :
*Listening
*Discussion
*Suggestion
These three attributes are so important to choice of psychiatrist. See how much they really listen, because there is a difference between the body language of someone who purports to listen and someone who really does. Sincerity has a lot to do with it, and the psychiatrist should be open to discussion and suggestion without making their views more important than that of the patient. If bad body language is employed, this makes a patient feel afraid and unable to communicate, overwhelmed or total disinterest of a psychiatrist defined by body language make the patient feel insignificant at a time when they need to boost confidence, not detract from it.
Attitude
Just like human beings in every walk of life, attitude is something that will be a strength or weakness with every psychiatrist. A psychiatrist of caring nature may be more approachable, although the individual needs to assist how close and how personal they want that relationship to be. Sometimes, those who go to psychiatrists require an objective distance between themselves and a psychiatrist. Again here, the individual one off consultation with chosen psychiatrists will demonstrate the attitude that the psychiatrist shows towards a patient, and enable the individual a chance to make their choice as to whether the attitude of the psychiatrist suits their needs.
Here, body language comes into play, and the dismissal of those psychiatrists that simply watch the clock waiting for the appointment to end, and their seeming disinterest in their patient will be shown at initial interview.
Trust
Trust is a huge asset between a psychiatrist and their patient. Without it, the relationship doesn’t work. The initial interview with a potential psychiatrist will give the patient a chance to see if there can indeed be an element of trust between them and the psychiatrist. Just as in life, if there is a lack of trust, a patient cannot open up their deep rooted problems with a psychiatrist where no trust exists between patient and psychiatrist. Most human beings get an intuitive feel for whether the character presented to them is trustworthy and psychiatrists are no exception.
Of course time changes the element of trust, although the initial appointment will give an indication of whether that trust can be built on, or whether the patient would find their lack of trust would get in the way of the healing or mending process.
Choosing the best psychiatrist for your needs is made easier by having an initial consultation. Often this is more effective than recommendation since it presents a one to one opportunity for the patient to decide whether or not the psychiatrist suits their needs. Picking up a phone-book to chose a psychiatrist is a risky business, and anyone can do that, the missing element being how that psychiatrist will relate to you, and indeed how you will relate to them. It is the only way of knowing if a psychiatrist can indeed be of help to you, and by using the criteria above in the decision making process, the patient can choose that psychiatrist that will be the most effective at sorting out their own individual problems, taking the risk factor out of the equation.
